


That Child

by Isaya



Series: Advent Calender 2020 [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Empire Day celebrations, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:34:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27988521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isaya/pseuds/Isaya
Summary: This kinda came from a brainfart of what-if Vader recognized his daughter at some point during her childhood... it did not quite get that far.
Series: Advent Calender 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036623
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	That Child

**Author's Note:**

> Day 10. Or does it count as day 9 II as I haven't slept yet? Anyway, I'm writing this on my phone, in bed, coz I can't sleep and don't want to get back up to sit at the computer instead, so... bear with me and I'm sorry about any typos or other phone-writing related weirdness.

There was something about the girl. He had not paid her any attention in particular when they'd been introduced, he'd barely paid attention to the introductions at all - it wasn't like anyone of the people involved did not already know who the others were but appearances had to be kept apparently. The whole thing was a big waste of his time but his ship was currently undergoing repairs and so he had been sent to visit Alderaan for the Empire Day festivities to showcase imperial presence. A squadron or two of Stormtroopers and some sort of bureaucrat should have sufficed in his opinion but his Master had decreed that he would attend the Alderaanian celebrations and so here he was. 

For the most part he could stand to the site and loom menacingly in the shadows and be left alone (in other words: stand around and be bored and fuming about the waste of his time.) But an hour or two into the festivities he noticed that his attention was drawn to the girl again and again. His gaze roamed over the attendees - if he cared at all he would be itching to see some rebellious or seditious activity that he could punish, some anti-empire sentiment he could use as an excuse to let of some steam. But no one was stupid enough to do so in his presence.

The princess drew his gaze more often than any other. Curious. She was a young child and aside from her position of princess she should be utterly unimportant and yet... there was something about her. She was in no way the sole focus of his attention and yet she drew his attention more often than a single other person. There was something about her that was almost... familiar in a way. As if he had met her before but that was ridiculous. Even aside from her age why would he have seen her before and why should he remember it (her)? There were quite few people he kept track of. And half of them only mattered at his Master's behest. 

What was it about her? Why did he catch himself noticing her for the fifth or sixth time now as she mingled with her aunts and some others close to the royal family. Why could he recall her path through the crowd? It made him uncomfortable. He contemplated for a moment if she was force sensitive but for all that she was bright in the force she wasn't... It wasn't that. Why did something about her tug at his mind? His roiling anger shifted from frustration about the waste of time to frustration about this puzzle he could not solve that should not be a puzzle at all and was.

How dared the child presume his attention. How dared it be a mystery. Why did it now suddenly incite such senseless anger. He sneered behind his mask and turned his back on the child. He exuded such an oppressive presence that the people closest to him, while already at a fair distance, shuffled further away. Good. He glowered at the crowd. His mood only souring further and then further as he reminded himself that he could not simply plow through them with his lightsabre for no discernable reason. His Master would be most displeased. Alderaan was too well regarded in the senate for such a thing to go unnoticed let alone be tolerated. It was not (yet) the time to incite full-on rebellion.

And his gaze lit upon the girl again. With a snarl he stalked to one of the alcoves. He felt the need to move, to do something... but he could hardly kill the princess for posing a conundrum. He wished he could simply do away with her and be done with it. But he represented their magnanimous Emperor today and needless violence was not acceptable under these circumstances. (Although arguably violence was never needless or senseless for a Sith.) 

The princess flitted from aunt to aunt, always kept under a close eye by royal guards. Behind his mask he gave up the pretense of not paying her any attention and just stared at her as she was speaking to one if her aunts. He was scrutinizing her, trying to figure out just what about her had set him off when she laughed... and he froze. 

He knew that laugh. 

He knew that laugh, that expression, even though princess' face was far too young for it. Suddenly he couldn't breathe. (He was breathing anyway, the armour left him little choice in that aspect. He still felt like there was no air in his lungs regardless.) _Impossible._

_He knew that laugh._

Suddenly rage filled him with an intensity he had not felt in a long time if ever. He knew that laugh. It was her laugh. How dared this child have her laugh. This feeble imitation that could never come close to what he dared not remember. How dare this child remind him of everything he lost. The walls trembled. The ground rumbled. His rage, his fury, his wrath knew no bounds. They would suffer. They would rue the day - They would -

His prosthetic was creaking under the pressure of his curled fist. He wanted to lash out, to choke them, all of them. The force shuddered around him. It was a maelstrom of rage and fury and hate and he was the eye. His wrath burned hot.

And then it turned icy. They would pay. He may not know when or how. But they would pay. His hand twitches and his lightsabre almost vibrated eagerly on his belt. Almost as if it was thirsty for blood and death. He would have vengeance. 

On the other side of the hall the girl was still conversing with her aunt as if nothing was wrong, as if her doom was not looming over her. She seemed to be avidly discussing something with her aunt. 

And everything ground to a halt. His icy wrath crumbled into despair. That stubborn tilt of her chin? He would know that anywhere. He'd seen it often on... her. He'd recognized it on Jobal and Sola before. And he recognized it now. 

That girl?

That girl was a Naberrie. 

And there was only one Naberrie Bail Organa had been in contact (friends) with.

That child was _hers_.

**Author's Note:**

> Not edited, not beta-ed blahblah  
> Idk guys.


End file.
